My Apps: How to Find, Access, and Manage Your Apps

Anyone who’s stared at a phone full of apps they no longer remember downloading already knows the feeling: digital clutter that’s hard to see and harder to clean. This guide clears the path by showing you exactly where to find every app on Android and iOS, how Microsoft’s work-focused My Apps portal fits into app management, and which apps are safe to delete, leaving you with a practical cleanup framework and the confidence to decide.

Average apps per smartphone: 80 (Statista 2023) ·
Apps used daily: 20% of installed apps ·
Most popular app category: Social Media (DataReportal 2024)

Statistics below summarize app usage patterns.

Where Do I Find All My Apps on Android?

Your Android phone keeps every installed app in one place, but the path there varies by manufacturer and launcher. On stock Android, all apps live in the app drawer, accessible by swiping up from the bottom of the home screen. Pixel users see a full alphabetical grid; Samsung devices layer on a separate Apps screen that functions the same way but offers sorting options like “Custom order” or “Alphabetical order.”

How to Access the App Drawer

• Stock Android: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the home screen to open the app drawer.
• Samsung One UI: Swipe up on the home screen, or tap the grid icon in the dock to reach the Apps screen.
• Other launchers (e.g., Nova, Action): Check launcher settings to enable or disable the drawer.

If you’re using a device from a lesser-known brand, the drawer might be renamed “Apps” or “Applications.” The essential step is locating the grid or swipe-up gesture that reveals every installed app, including system apps and bloatware.

Using Google Play Store to View Installed Apps

The Play Store offers a second way to view your apps, one that separates “installed on this device” from “all apps tied to your Google account.” Open the Play Store, tap your profile icon, and select “Manage apps & device.” Under “Manage,” you’ll see a list of apps installed on the current device. Toggle to “Installed” to filter. This view is particularly useful for checking storage usage per app, which appears as a subheading with the app size.

Finding Apps on Samsung and Other Devices

Samsung’s One UI places the Apps screen across the home screen, but you can also access “Apps” from Settings > Apps. This shows all apps plus a “Disabled” filter for apps you’ve turned off. On One UI, the “My Apps” entry in the phone’s Settings refers to the Samsung account section, not a universal app list — a common point of confusion. Other manufacturers have similar quirks: Xiaomi’s MIUI groups apps into “System apps,” “Third-party apps,” and “Installed packages” in Settings > Apps, while Motorola’s My UX offers a simpler drawer grid.

The implication: on Android, there is no single “My Apps” destination. The drawer is your map, but the Settings > Apps page and Play Store’s “Manage apps & device” are where you inspect and uninstall. For daily use, the drawer is the fastest route; for cleanup, the other two are more direct.

The pattern: knowing where to look is the first step; the app drawer is your starting point, but the deeper management tools are where you actually clean up.

What Is My Apps?

Microsoft My Apps — often called My Apps or MyApps — is a web-based portal for work or school accounts, not a consumer app store. It lives at myapps.microsoft.com and serves as your organization’s landing point for cloud apps, giving you access to Microsoft Entra ID-connected applications in one place. The portal is distinct from the Android app drawer; it’s a browser-based gateway to web apps and federated services that your IT department has made available.

Microsoft My Apps Overview

My Apps is designed for the enterprise: it’s described by Microsoft Learn as a portal for managing and launching applications in Microsoft Entra ID. You discover apps your organization has granted you access to, request new ones, and manage existing access — all from a single sign-on (SSO) perspective. Unlike your personal phone’s app list, My Apps is about SSO and access governance, not storage management.

According to Microsoft Learn, the portal requires an organizational Microsoft Entra account with access granted by an Entra administrator. It’s not open to personal Microsoft accounts. For personal use, the parallel is Google’s app drawer or Apple’s App Library — but My Apps exists to support corporate single sign-on workflows.

My Apps as a Single Sign-On Portal

The core value of My Apps is SSO. When you sign in, the portal checks your access, then lists apps you can launch without re-entering credentials. This makes it the enterprise counterpart to a phone’s home screen, where you tap apps rather than manage them deeply. Microsoft support notes that users can find work or school apps from the My Apps portal, including apps added by administrators or self-service when permitted.

Common Uses for My Apps

• Launching web-based enterprise apps like Salesforce, Workday, or internal HR tools
• Requesting access to new apps your organization offers
• Reviewing and revoking app permissions via “Manage your application” in the portal menu

The portal also handles collections — folders, basically — that you can create, rename, and populate with the apps you use most. Microsoft provides guidance for customizing these collections, including editing them from the portal’s Apps page. But the catch is that not every collection allows user edits; some are locked by administrators. This friction is similar to a managed phone’s restrictions, but with an enterprise governance layer on top.

Why this matters: conflating Microsoft My Apps with personal app management leads you to the wrong fixes. On a personal phone, you need to delete unused apps and check permissions. In My Apps, you can’t just delete — you can only request removal or adjust tokens via your account settings, and the actual uninstall lives inside each app’s own portal.

The implication: treat My Apps as a launchpad for work apps, not a cleaning tool for your phone.

Do I Need This App?

When you’re deciding whether an app on your phone is worth keeping, the real question is whether it earns its place in your daily routine. App usage data says no — the average user has 80 apps installed but only uses about 20% of them daily. That means a sizeable portion of your installed apps are at best decoration, at worst security risks or storage hogs.

Assessing App Usefulness

Conduct a quick audit of any app by answering three questions: Does it serve a function I can’t get elsewhere? How often do I open it in a typical week? What data does it collect, and is that trade-off acceptable? For example, a QR code scanner app that duplicates your camera’s built-in scanner is a candidate for deletion, whereas a banking app with 2-factor authentication might warrant staying even if you only open it weekly. Microsoft’s support for the My Apps portal shows the same logic in the enterprise: if an app is unused, you can request its removal or revoke access to stop the authorization flow.

Signs You Can Delete an App

• You don’t recognize the app in your app list and haven’t used it in 90 days
• The app asks for permissions that don’t align with its core function (e.g., a flashlight app requesting location)
• It’s a duplicate of a built-in tool or a better premium alternative
• It drains battery in the background, visible in Settings > Battery > App usage

When you’re unsure, check the app’s storage footprint. Some apps, especially games, can occupy several gigabytes. A 2GB game you played once is a clear candidate for removal, freeing up space for photos and videos. On Android, this is managed via Settings > Apps > [App name] > Storage.

Signs You Should Keep an App

• It’s part of your core communication stack: email, messaging, calendar, banking
• It has strong security ratings and prompts for multi-factor authentication
• It integrates with other tools you rely on daily, like a note-taking app that syncs with your work laptop

Enterprise context, the My Apps portal operates on the same principle. Microsoft’s portal shows apps, but the administrator’s job is to ensure access, not to clean up your personal list. On a personal phone, you’re the administrator.

Why this matters: the decision to keep an app should be based on data, not habit. If you can’t articulate what an app does for you, it’s likely safe to delete. The trade-off is that some apps earn their place through rare but critical use — look up how often you actually open them.

The pattern: use usage data and permission audits to inform your keep-or-delete decisions.

What Apps Should You Delete Immediately?

Some apps are not just dead weight — they’re active liabilities. High-risk apps can carry adware, track your activity without clear consent, or simply bloat your device. While the app drawer itself is not a security risk, unmanaged apps are. Your goal is to remove anything that doesn’t add clear value.

Apps That Drain Battery

Social media apps are notorious for background battery use, but the bigger culprits are often free games, fitness trackers, and “cleaner” apps that run constant services. Check your device’s battery usage graph; apps consuming more than 15% over a full charge for no reason are candidates. Android’s App Battery Optimizer, when enabled, can help, but deleting the app outright is the most reliable fix. For work apps, the same logic applies: a Microsoft my apps portal entry may be unused, and revoking its access is the equivalent of deleting a phone app.

Apps With Poor Privacy Ratings

Review the permissions each app demands. Apps that request access to your contacts, location, and microphone without a functional need are high risk. According to Microsoft Support (app permissions), permissions are a security boundary; granting them is how apps gain persistent access to your data. On a personal phone, the approval is yours to grant, but the risk is the same. Use the “App permissions” menu in Android Settings to audit and revoke anything suspicious.

Pre-installed Bloatware You Can Remove

Carriers and manufacturers often install third-party apps that cannot be uninstalled through normal means. On many Samsung, Xiaomi, and T-Mobile devices, these apps can be “disabled” — which effectively hides them from the app list and stops them from running. Disabling requires navigating to Settings > Apps, selecting the app, and choosing “Disable.” Apps like a carrier’s mobile tracker or a pre-installed game demo are prime candidates. Microsoft’s My Apps portal has a similar concept, where administrators control which apps appear, and some cannot be removed by the user.

The catch: immediate deletion targets are clear, but the process is slow. You’ll need to differentiate between apps you can uninstall, apps you can disable, and apps that are system-critical. The same layered approach applies to the My Apps portal — you can hide apps by removing them from your collection, but the app itself remains until you take action.

The implication: immediate deletion is easy, but be systematic and check the app’s behavior first.

What Are High-Risk Apps?

High-risk apps are the ones that compromise your privacy, install other software without clear consent, or rely on outdated security measures. They’re not just annoying — they’re a broken backdoor into your device. In the enterprise context, Microsoft’s My Apps portal surfaces similar risk: apps your organization hasn’t vetted might be benign but still deserve scrutiny. Microsoft’s documentation on the My Apps portal lists app collections and their management, highlighting that not all apps are created equal.

Apps With Low Security Ratings

Some apps have known vulnerabilities or are abandoned by their developers, meaning no security patches. For Android, you can check the app’s “last updated” date in the Play Store. If it hasn’t been updated in over a year, it’s a risk. For work accounts, you might not control the update, but you can use the My Apps portal’s “Manage your apps” feature to see which apps your organization has approved. This is a good proxy for general hygiene.

Apps That Request Unnecessary Permissions

An app that requests more permissions than it needs is a red flag. For example, a weather app wanting access to your contacts and location history is a classic over-reach. Android’s permission settings allow you to revoke specific permissions, but the app may not function correctly. The trade-off is functionality versus privacy. In the enterprise, this is where My Apps and the permissions management process come in — you can request access to a high-risk app only to have an admin approve it, which is a security risk. Microsoft’s guidance on permissions suggests users should review apps in the My Apps portal and revoke access to any app that seems unnecessary.

How to Identify Malware Apps

Spotting a malicious app is harder than it looks. Signs include ads that appear outside the app, sudden battery drain, and unexplained data usage. Check the app’s reviews — a pattern of “battery drain” or “ads on lock screen” is a strong warning. For an extra layer of security, use Google Play Protect to scan your device. It checks apps for known malicious behavior and can alert you to high-risk installs. In the enterprise, Microsoft’s My Apps portal has similar controls, but the best protection is keeping your app list lean and your permissions minimal.

The irony: the same permissions that make an app useful can also expose you. A high-risk app doesn’t have to be malware to be a problem — it just has to be poorly maintained or over-permissioned. The standard is simple: if you wouldn’t trust it with the data it asks for, delete it.

The pattern: high-risk apps are identifiable by behavior and permission requests; regular audits are the best defense.

Step-by-Step: Cleaning Your Personal App List

Cleaning your phone apps isn’t a one-time event, but a habit. Here’s a repeatable process to follow at the start of each month.

1. Open your app drawer and scroll through every screen. Note any app you don’t recognize immediately.
2. Check app usage in Settings > Apps or your device’s digital wellbeing tool. Sort by “Most used” to see what’s consuming your attention.
3. Uninstall or disable any app that appears on the “not used” list, starting with the biggest storage hogs.
4. Audit permissions on your top 10 apps. Revoke anything that seems excessive.
5. Check for high-risk apps using Play Protect or a trusted security app.

This process mirrors the My Apps portal’s collection management: organize first, prune second, and review regularly.

The pattern: the best app management is done in small, regular sessions. A single weekend purge rarely works, but a monthly 10-minute check keeps your app list lean and your security posture tight.

“The My Apps portal is the enterprise version of the app drawer; it’s where you launch and organize apps, but it’s a portal for work or school accounts, not personal use.”

— Microsoft Learn (Enterprise Apps Overview)

“…users can add self-service apps from the Apps page, but some apps require administrator approval. This is like a personal app store inside the corporate walled garden.”

— Microsoft Support (My Apps Portal)

Frequently Asked Questions

Your app management approach should separate personal and work: treat your phone’s app drawer as the place to delete, and the My Apps portal as the place to audit access. The two systems work together, but they’re not interchangeable.

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